Feeder-regulator.



M. UNGER.

FEEDER REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20, 1913.

M. UNGER.

FEEDER REGULATOR.

APPLlcAloN f|LED1uN20.1913.

Patented Dec. 12, 1911i.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Witnesses: .ff

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIcE.

MAGNUSUNGER, OF PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB'TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

FEEDER-REGULATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec.12, 1916.

Application led June 20, 1813. Serial No. 774,778.

T 0 all whom t may concern Be it known that I, MAoNUs UNGEB, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsfield, county of Berkshire. State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in F ceder-Regulators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates especially to automatic-regulators, particularly to those of the induction type for regulating the voltage on feeders.

The object of my invention is .to provide an automatic operating mechanism particularly applicable to small regulators, of a rugged construction, accurate in operation, as simple as may be, and suitable for outdoor installation, subject as such regulators must be to lackfof proper attention and care.

The novelties of my invention are involved in the operating mechanism, a means for preventing the operation of the device beyond fixed limits and the adjustment for the controlling mechanism, as pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying ldrawings which forni a part of this specification, Ihave illustrated a construction embodying my invention.

Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of an induction regulator embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 is a the same with the top of the casing removed.

In the lower part of .the regulator case 1 is located the regulator 2 which as shown is of the ordinary induction type; its general construction will be understood without further description. The rotatable arts are controlled and o rated by the sha t 3. The connection of t xe regulator to the line is immaterial so far as my present invention is concerned. The base 4 carries the operating and controlling mechanism for the regulator; through this base passes the shaft 3. The motor 5 is designed to run constantly while the regulator is in service and to drive the gear 6 through a worm. This gear 6 in turn drives an arm 7 reciprocating the link 8 and oscillating the arm 9 which is, to obtain this result, longer than the arm 7. The. arm 9 is carried by a sleeve 10 also carrying a rocker arm 11. The rocker arm 11 has pivoted to it at opposite sides of itlan view of self two latches12 and 13, and two catches therefor 14 and 15; these engage with the upper ends of the latches 12 and 13 to hold them against the tension of their respective springs 16 and 17. The catches 14 and 15 also have springs tending to hold them in the positions shown in the drawing. A toothed wheel 18 is mounted to rotate about an axis in line with the `axis of the rocker arm 11 and in the plane of the latches 12 and 13. The catches 14 and 15 when in engagement with theJ latches 12 and 13 hold these latches out of engagement with the wheels-18, but when either of these latches is released' from its catch, its respective spring 16 or 17 moves it into engagement with the teeth ofthe Wheel 18. The -ends of the latches are so` constructed nthat each may turn the wheel 18 in one direction, this direction being opposite to the direction in which the other latch vmay turn the wheel 18. It will be apparent from this that when the motor is rotated and one of the latches 12 or 13 is released from its catch 14 or 15,-

ofthe wheel I provide a trip or tripping finger 19 midwayv between the latches in the position shown in the drawings. 'On each atch also I have provided a projection 2O so shaped that when a latch, free from its catch, is oscillated over the finger 19 near the end of its operating stroke, it israised from engagement with the wheel 18 suiciently to engage with its catch 14 or 15, as the case may be. Its catch then retains it out of engagement with the wheel 18 until later released.

The wheel 18 is carried on a shaft also carrying a worm gear 21 meshing with a sector gear 22 attached to the shaft 3. The sleeve 10 is loosely mounted on this shaft. The shaft has a bearing in the bracket 39 and in another bracket at the opposite side of the case. Thus as the wheel 18 is rotated in one direction or the other, it rotates the regulator mechanism 2 in the corresponding direction. f

The continued rotation of the wheel 18 positionV in either direction would result obviously in carrying the sector gear 22 'to such a position as to be out of engagement with the worm gear 21; thus the gear wheel 18 and worm gear 21 -would be unable to return the regulator mechanism 2 to its original 'llo prevent this .action l[-- have provided the member 23, which consists of a double lIl shaped member pivoted about the -same axis as the wheel 18,A with two arms eXtendingapproXimately diametrically across the wheel 18. The two free/ends of these arms carry cam-shaped projections 24 and 25 extending over the teeth of the wheel 18. Normally these cam-shaped projections are beyond the travel' of the latches 12 and 13. The third free end 26 `of the member 23 is normally held in theposition as illust-rated by means of a spring 27. A lever 28is provided with two lingers 29, see .particularly Fig. 2, and these two fingers embrace opposite sides of the end'26 of the member 23, see Fig. 1. The under face of the sector gear 22 is provided with projections 30 near its ends. These projections 30 are so located as to. engage with the end 31 of the lever 28 and rotate this lever whenevervthe regulating mechanism 2 is brought near a limiting position. When thisI lever 28 is thus actuated, it`actuates themember 23 about its axis, carrying the-proper camshaped projection 24 or 25 into such a position that lit comes between the latch 12 or 13 and the wheel 18', preventing the engagement of the respective latch with the teeth of the wheel and retaining it in position to be engaged by the catch 14 or 15, as the case may be. j

To control the operation of the mechanism above. described, I have provided a lever 32v carrying two detents 33 and 34 and pivoted 'between these detente to the stationary arm 35. This stationary arm 35 is carried on the bracket 36 carrying also the solenoid 37 which controls the lever 32. If the regulator is to regulate for voltage, this solenoid 37 will be energized in proportion to the voltage of the line,-as will be readilyv understood. The arm 35 is slightly exible and an adjustment of the lever 32 is obtained by means of thefadjusting rod 38 which makes a screw-threaded connection and its operation. The 'detents 33 and 34.

, mesma tent 33 or the detent 34 is lowered. I shall assume that the detent 33 is lowered into the path of the catch 14.- On the oscillation of the rocker arm 11 to the right, the catch 14 engages with the detent 33 and is moved thereby out of engagement'with the latch 12. The spring 16 then forces the latch 12 into engagement with the teeth of the wheel 18 and the oscillation of the rocker arm 11 to the left carries the wheel 18 with it, thus turning the worm gear 21 and the sector gear 22 and the regulating mechanism 2. Toward the end of travel of the rocker arm 11 to the left, the'projection 20 on the latch 12 engages wit-h the trip 19, near the end of its operating stroke Vraisingthe latch l2 out of engagement With the wheel 18 and bringing it into engagement with its-catch 14 which retains it out of engagement with the wheel 18 on the return of the rocker arm 11 to the right. If now, this operation of the regulating mechanism 2 has been suficient to bring the voltage back to normal, the detent 33 has been raised out of the path of travel of the catch 14,. However, should this movement of the regulating mechanism 2 have been insuiicient to accomplish the required regulation, vthe detent 33 is still in the path of the catch ,14 and vagain disengages this catch 14 from its latch 12, allowing the latch to cngagewith the wheel 18 again. `The movement of the regulating mechanism is then continued as` before described luntil the detentvis returned outiof the path of the catch 14. If the change in voltage on the line has been be'- yond theA capacity of the regulator to coi# rect, thee regulating` mechanism ,2 will be rotated .until-one of the projections 30 en .gages with the end 31 ofthe lever 28j when this lever 28 will move the cam face' 24 to such a position las to prevent the latch 12 from engaging with the teeth ofy theA wheel 18 and maintainjthis latch insnch a position'that when the catch 14 isreleased from thedetent 33,"it immediatelfiengages the latch .1 2. Thusy as long' asthe cam projec tion- 24 Als-'in this position, `the rocker arm `11 oscillates backward.k `and g forward without'/ moving the wheel 18,1@even'though the detent 33 is in itsflowermost position.

It will be ,noticed'thatthefregulatihg mechanismV -2V must be .operated through more, or less ofthe mechanism of, whichthe. 13

rocker arm 11 and its latches are a part. The induction type ot' regulator offers considerable resistance to movementv in one direction and it is necessary to hold'such a regulating mechanism in positionI against a considerable tendency to rotate to a neutral position. Hence it is that the worm and sector gear connection between the tooth wheel 18 and theshaft 3 is peculiarly applicable. This connection prevents the backward rotation of the regulating mechanism due to its inherent tendency to rotate, and allows the regulating mechanism to be operated against considerable inherent stl-ess with llittle pressure on the latches 12 and 13. This regulator is inclosed in a case 1 and adapted for outdoor use. An opening 41 in one side of this case or tank opposite the operating mechanism provided with a floor 42, allows ready access to the operating mechanism for inspection and adjustment. To protect the regulator against dirt and moisture which is likely to beat in through the opening 41. even though closed by thevdoor 42, I provide a pocket 43 in the tankl adjacent toand below the opening 41. Any moisture or dirt which may beybeaten into the case through the opening is then deposited in this pocket 43 out of contact wlth the operating 'parts of the regulator.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, isf- 1.l In a regulator, the combination with `means for operating the regulating mechanism comprising a toothed wheel, an oscillating rocker arm, a latch carried by said arm and engaging with the teeth ofl the wheel to rotate the same and means for controlling the engagement of the latch with the wheel, of means for limiting the total movement of the wheel Vcomprising a member movable under the latch to revent its engagement with the wheel, an means to move said member under the latch when the regulating mechanism has been operated to a predetermined position.

2. In a regulator, the combination with means for operating the regulating mechanism comprising a toothed wheel, an oscillating rocker arm, a latch carried by said arm and engaging with the teeth of the wheel to rotate the same, and a catch also carried by said arm to hold said latch out of engagement with the wheel, of means for limiting the total movement of the wheel comprising a cam movable to a position to engage with the latch to hold it in position to be engaged by the catch, and means to move said cam to such position when the regulating mechanism as been operated to a predetermined position.

3. In a regulator, the combination with means for operating the regulating mechanism comprising a toothed wheel, an oscillating rocker arm, a latch carried bj said .arm and 'engaging with theteeth ot' tl e wheel to rotate the same and a catch also carried by said arm to hold said latch out ot engagementv with the wheel, of a cam movable to a position between the latch and the wheel to prevent its engagement with the wheel and to hold it in position to be engaged by the catch, and means to move said cam tosuch position when the regulating mechanism has been operated to a predetermined position.

4. In a regulator, the combination with means for operating the regulating mechanism comprising a toothed wheel, an oscillating rocker arm, two latches carried b v said arm and engaging with the teeth of said wheel to rotate it in opposite directions and twocatches also carried on said arm to hold said latches out of engagement with the wheel, of a pivoted member having two cam faces movable to positions between the respective latches and the wheel, and a lever for moving said member operated by said regulating mechanism.

In a regulator, the combination with means for operating the regulating mechanism comprising a. toothed wheel, an oscillating rocker arm and a` latch carried thereby for engaging the teeth of the wheel and operating the same, of a .tripping means located to engage the latch near the end of its operating stroke to disengage the latch from the teeth.

6. In a regulator, the combination with means for operating the regulating mechanism comprising a toothed wheel, an oscillating rocker arm, a la'tch carried thereby for engaging the teeth of the wheel and o erating the same and a catch also carrie by the rocker arm to hold the latch out of engagement with the wheel, of a *ripping means located to engage the latch near the end of its operating stroke to disengage the latch from the teeth and to cause the hitch to en age with the catch.

7. n a regulator, the combination with means for operating the regulating mechanism comprising a toothed wheel, an oscil lating rocker arm, Itwo, latches carried on opposite sides of said rocker arm to engage the teeth of the wheel and rotate the same in opposite directions, the latches respectively rotating the wheel as the rocker arm moves toward its central position, and catchesalso carried by said rocker arm to engage the latches and hold them out of engagement with the wheel,r of a stationary trip located between the latches to engage the same near the ends of their respective operating strokes to disengage the latches from the teeth and to cause the latches to engage the catches.

8. In a regulator, the combination with means for operating the regulating mechanism and controlling means therefor comprising a lever, detente thereon for engaging1 the operating means and a, stationary erm supported at one end and pivotally supporting said lever between said detents, of an adjusting rod between the arm and e stationary part to adjust the position of the lever.

9. In e regulator, the combination with,

means for operating the regulatn -meoha nism and vcontrolling means there or comprising a lever, detents thereon for engaging the operating means and a stationary erm Leoefoe supported at one end pvotelly supporting said lever,v of an adjusting rod between the free end of the arm and a stationary part to adjust the position of the lever.

In Witness whereof, ll have hereunto set my hand this seventeenth day of J une, 1913.

MAGNUS UNGER.

Witnesses:

E. F. GEHRKENS, F;v J. CHAMPLIN. 

